ATHLETICS: Under par Danny won’t be stopping

Danny Talbot competes in the 200m heats at the European Championships in Zurich last week

DANNY Talbot will extend his season deep into September to help shake off the disappointment of the European Championships in Zurich, writes Kevin Fahey.

The Trowbridge sprint ace was dealt a double blow in Switzerland as he first failed to make the final of the 200m, in which he was a reigning bronze medallist and was then dropped from the Great Britain 4x100m relay squad that won a superb gold.

Coach Dan Cossins revealed that it was illness that took the edge of Talbot’s performance rather than any sudden and mysterious loss of form and that the former St Augustine’s College student was now keen to keep racing to ensure an upbeat finish to what has been a fine season.

“Unfortunately Danny caught a virus off Sophie Papps (fellow athlete who is also coached by Cossins) and wasn’t that well in Zurich,” said Cossins.

“He didn’t train the week before and we kind of hoped that he would be well rested going to Zurich rather than the illness having taken anything out of him.

“Unfortunately it did not work out that way and he felt worse rather than better and was coughing in the warm-ups and I could hear from his breathing that he wasn’t right.

“It was really disappointing and (it was) an opportunity missed for Danny.”

Talbot has been resting since returning from Zurich but was due to train hard yesterday after which he and Cossins would make a decision on whether he would run the 200m in the Sainsbury’s Birmingham Grand Prix on Sunday.

“Danny has also got a 200m in Berlin (August 31st) and then something different with a 300m in Rieti, Italy (September 7) and finally the IAAF Continental Cup in Morocco (September 13-14),” added Cossins.

“It will be good for Danny to get a long season under his belt. It will be beneficial for his development and help make him physically tougher for the future.”

Cossins stressed considerable progress has been made this season with improvements to Talbot’s personal bests at both 100m and 200m, victory in the British Championships over 200m and a silver medal in the relay behind Usain Bolt’s Jamaica in the Commonwealth Games.

“It has still been a fantastic season for Danny,” said Cossins.

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